A WAY TO EXPERIENCE AND MAKE SENSE OF AN ARTISTIC JOURNEY

Jonathan’s preferred babysitter cancels for today and informs him she cannot continue to babysit moving forward. Back to the drawing board to find more coverage.

Meanwhile, the immediate repercussions are:

Jonathan has to move the start time of rehearsal to 9:30am so he can drive Edgar to preschool and leave at 11:00am to pick him up from preschool.

Jonathan texted Mandy and Lorena last night to determine how they wanted to structure today’s session since they have a shorter amount of time to rehearse.

Jonathan’s close friend and colleague Lauren arrives with her 1-year old daughter, Parker. Lauren intends to join the group for warm-up each week and watch a bit of rehearsal.

There are 3 kids under 3 today, presenting a continual stream of distractions/interruptions for the dancers.

Jonathan leads the warm-up. Sebastian and Parker contentedly crawl on the floor next to their parents while Sherri holds Eliza in her arms as she writes. For a blissful few minutes, the dancers can actually focus on their warm-up. Some days you just get lucky. The big smile on Jonathan’s face says it all.

However, this enjoyable interlude is interrupted by Sebastian’s cries when his attempt to crawl out of the studio is thwarted. Emotions are contagious; Sebastian’s upset triggers Parker’s crying. From this point on, Lauren alternately warms up with Parker in her arms and tries to console/distract/feed her.

Mindful of today’s time constraints, Lorena helps the dancers to keep to the agreed upon accelerated schedule today.

Lauren changes Parker while Lorena feeds Sebastian. During this time, Lorena coaches Mandy and Jonathan on technique as they do across-the-floor exercises.

Following warm-up, Jonathan updates the group on the upcoming Second Story web page that will appear on the RDT website. Mandy talks about a potential performance venue. She suggests that the group schedule future performances at kid-friendly times and make them shorter in duration to encourage families to attend.

The dancers work on Jonathan’s piece before he has to leave.

Jonathan holds Sebastian so Mandy and Lorena can work out complicated intertwined movements. Jonathan generates choreographic ideas, then tests them with Mandy and Lorena.

The dancers run the segment with music to figure out timing of movements and placement of arms and feet.

Jonathan introduces changes to the next set of phrases.

Eliza finally needs to connect with Jonathan, so, with Eliza in his arms, he works with Mandy and Lorena to clarify execution of specific movements in the new phrases.

Putting it all together, the dancers run the piece from the beginning with music.

The initial segment features a series of poses followed by different choreography for each dancer, performed simultaneously.

Lorena listens to Jonathan’s notes about adjustments and clarifications while changing Sebastian.

Mandy looks at a previous video for clarification of the steps and sequences.

The dancers work on retaining the material as Jonathan makes changes, particularly with Mandy’s choreography.

Jonathan has to leave – and takes his music with him. So Sherri films his piece with Lorena and Mandy dancing without music.

As he departs, Jonathan reflects upon the jumble of feelings evoked by this rehearsal. He experiences a full spectrum of emotions: joy for having danced, pride in the work, but disappointment that they couldn’t accomplish more, guilt for not running Lorena’s duet, doubt that Eliza’s needs were met, concern that Lauren enjoyed herself and had a positive experience, worry about whether he would arrive at Edgar’s preschool on time, feeling thrown off by having to arrive late, leave early, and disrupt the usual flow, and experiencing it all as chaotic.

Then Lorena and Mandy focus on the 2nd section of Lorena’s piece: a solo for Mandy.

It is fascinating to watch Lorena’s process. She creates in her head while listening to the music, uses her feet to get the rhythm down, then tests out her ideas with Mandy. Lorena first dances a phrase on her own, then together with Mandy. Next, she watches Mandy try it while giving her notes/clarifications. Lorena quickly replays the music and repeats this process – over and over as she makes adjustments/changes based on how Mandy executes the choreography. The cycle continues at a rapid pace for the next phrase: use music and body to generate ideas, test them out, make adjustments. Qualitative details (such as positioning of the pelvis, head and shoulders, leading with the core or the back, depending upon the movement, sharpness of gestures, and creating less defined “shapes” with the body) are explored even while Mandy is learning the movements.

This entire process is interwoven with attending to Sebastian’s physical and emotional needs. Lorena juggles creating and caregiving so seamlessly, it looks like a choreographed piece unto itself!

Mandy reports that she is becoming increasingly comfortable as she practices the new solo and really enjoys Lorena’s work.

Lorena outlines a specific spatial configuration, then films a run-through.

Lorena describes how her choreographic approach differs from Jonathan’s; she feels that she relies more on the music and physical movement whereas Jonathan takes a more cerebral approach to creating his work.

Jonathan Riedel, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Riedel Dance Theater, began choreographing professionally in 1999. In 2002, he staged his breakaway hit,The Unsightful Nanny, on the Limón Dance Company, and in 2003 he founded Riedel Dance Theater, presenting its inaugural season in NYC and Italy. His work quickly became known for its taut, intelligent humor and poignant dramatic power. DanceView Times proclaimed it “brilliant," "profoundly moving," and having "an ingenuity and timing that would make Petipa jealous." ​READ MORE